Drawing Hearts
by Omen of Heartbreak
Summary: Rating is for coming chapters. Kuwabara's friend Komari Nakatami has a connection to the coming "mission". After she is transported along with him and Kurama, she tags along. Will this Aki Warriors Banquet be too much for the human girl? (KuwaxOC)


Disclaimer: I do not own YYH. I do own all of my original characters, however. just ask if you want to use them and I'll more than likely say yes!  
  
(A/N: Kuwabara, Keiko, and Yusuke are seventeen in this fic, Kurama appears as a nineteen year old human, Hiei is unchanged, Koenma's still the same, and Genkai's still old.)   
  
(A/N: First person POV)  
  
I didn't know that I was doodling hearts on my paper, but obviously I was. Sensei informed me of this, reprimanded my actions, and sighed. It was last period at Ibaraki High and I wasn't focusing on geography. My best friend giggled when she saw how big a heart I'd drawn, and whispered a name to me. I rolled my eyes at her and shook my head.   
  
The bell rang loudly, snapping me out of my dream-like stupor. I filed out of class, the last one, my mind still not on anything I was doing. I nearly bumped into him opening my locker; this made me wide awake.   
  
"Hey Mari!" The big teen grinned. His name was Kazuma Kuwabara, and he was one of my good friends. "I was wondering..."   
  
I smiled back and put my books in my bag. "No you can't get out of Tuesday Literature! You need a good grade in that class." I tutored him in literature every Tuesday, but sometimes he skipped out. When he did that, I was usually playing mad at him the next day.   
  
"But I'm...I'm leaving for a big.....contest today! I really need to! Please please pleeeease!" He whined and put on a puppy-dog face. My heart nearly skipped a beat, but I held firm.   
  
"No, Kuwabara! If you don't come one more time, then I'm not tutoring you anymore. I can't spend my time getting ready to help you when you don't even show up!"   
  
My best friend, Chizura, walked up grinning. "Hello, Kuwabara. Trying to weasel out of studying?"   
  
"No!" He frowned.   
  
I looked at him with a look in my eyes that said, 'Don't try it!'  
  
"Maybe," he corrected.   
  
"Well, you're not going to! I'll make sure that you pass that literature class if I have to follow you all the way to that contest!" I shouldered my book bag and closed my locker. Looking up at the much taller teen, I frowned. "Or should I just tell Komei-san that your contest is much more important?"   
  
"No, no no no no!" He frowned as well. "Please, Komari? Just this one time? I swear I'll make it up! I just really need to go!"   
  
I sighed and started walking. "No!"   
  
"Please?"   
  
"No."   
  
"Pretty please?"   
  
"NO!" I stopped by the school gate and faced him. "If you don't care about passing your senior year in high school, then go ahead, but don't say that I didn't try to help you!"   
  
A voice behind me laughed. I wheeled around, to find myself looking at a pair of pretty green eyes. "Well, Komari, I see you've met Kuwabara."   
  
I jumped back and stared at Kurama. "Don't do that!"   
  
He chuckled. "Sorry."   
  
"Hey, man!" Kazuma smiled. "I didn't know you knew Komari!"   
  
"Yes, well, she is my second cousin on my father's side, Kuwabara. Now, are you ready to go to the, erm, contest?"   
  
Chizura blushed and waved at him. "Hi Shuuichi!"   
  
He bowed and smirked. "Hello, Chizura. How are you this lovely winter's day?"   
  
She giggled. "Just fine, thank you. Umm, I gotta be going. Bye, Komari. Byyyye, Shuuichi!"   
  
I waved her off and sighed. "You're going to the contest too?"   
  
He smiled. "Why, yes, I'm chaperoning, you could say. Yusuke is supposed to be going too, but he's already with our other team mate."   
  
Kazuma looked at me. "Pleeeeeeeease, Komari. I promise, this is the last time I'll skip tutorials! I swear!"   
  
"No, Kazuma! If you want to go to that contest so bad, then go, but it's the last time you'll ever get help from me."   
  
He bit his lip. Kurama laughed and patted my shoulder. "Komari, don't be so hard on him. You know what contest he's going to, right?"   
  
"No. All he said was that he was going to a contest!" I took a deep breath. "No one ever explains anything to me, they just make up excuses and expect me to buy them and go on living my happy little life as if nothing had happened whatsoever!"   
  
They both looked at me. Kurama finally broke up in a laughing fit, a clever twinkle in his eye.   
  
"So, Komari, is this the bearer?" He smiled slyly.   
  
I blushed. "No he is not the bearer!"   
  
"What bearer?" Kazuma asked, perplexed.   
  
"Are you sure?"   
  
"Yes, positive!"   
  
"What's that supposed to mean, the bearer?"   
  
I blushed more and looked at the tall teen. "Don't worry about it."   
  
Kurama put a hand on my shoulder. "Just keep telling yourself that, Komari."   
  
As I was about to reply, the world faded away into darkness. Then I realized that I had been somehow transported into a room filled with people, and that both Kurama and Kazuma had also been transported.   
  
"You were taking too long," a brown-haired teen with a pacifier said, sitting behind a large desk. "Why are you here?"   
  
I blinked. "You tell me!"   
  
I recognized two classmates, Yusuke Urameshi and Keiko Yukimura. Kurama, my cousin, smiled and sighed.   
  
"I apologize, Koenma, I was touching her when you transported us here."  
  
"Well, there's no time now to get her back. She'll just have to stay here."   
  
I looked up at Kazuma. "Where are we?" I whispered.   
  
"At my boss's office," he whispered back.   
  
The teen cleared his throat. "Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, and I'd talk more if I had the time but we don't! I'm Koenma, Prince of the Spirit World. And you are?"   
  
"Umm, Komari Nakatami. Where am I and what do you mean, Spirit World?"   
  
My cousin once again smiled and laughed nervously. "Remember when I told you about the Makai and how I'm a demon?"   
  
Nodding, I looked at him. "Well, this is where the dead go, slightly beyond the Sanzu River."   
  
I think that I would've passed out on the floor, had Kazuma not been watching. Instead I must've turned white, because all the blood drained out of my face. "Wh-Where the dead go?!"   
  
A short man wearing almost all black entered. As he did, he looked at me. I caught my breath as I saw that he had a large third eye in the middle of his forehead. This time, I did pass out. The last thing I remember was falling back into Kazuma's arms as all turned black.   
  
(A/N: Third Person POV)  
  
Kuwabara caught the girl as she fell back, with Kurama trying to do the same but only succeeding in catching her bookbag. Koenma nearly cried, groaning about all the complications and how late they were as it is.   
  
"Well, I say leave her here and we go to the Demon world like we're supposed to," Yusuke said. Keiko elbowed him and he shutup, frowning.   
  
Koenma shook his head. "No, no, no! She'd be here without anyone that she knows and then she'd really freak!"   
  
Hiei snorted. "Hn. You were saying how each of us should have a date for this...Why not let her wake up and be the troll's date? We have no one else and she seems to tolerate him."   
  
"Hey!" Kuwabara exclaimed. "I'm not takin' Komari to the Demon World. It's too dangerous!"   
  
The god sighed. "What else do we have to do with her? Nothing, that's what!"   
  
Kurama cleared his throat. "I don't think that Komari would be much bothered by the demons...She once overheard Hiei and I talking. She also agreed to only use my real name when we were alone, and not to tell anyone my heritage."   
  
"She's not goin' there!" Kuwabara gently laid her down on the floor and frowned. "I don't want her to get hurt."   
  
"She wouldn't get hurt unless she provoked someone," Hiei drawled. "Or unless some demon just happened to not like how she looked at them."   
  
"Where exactly are we going?" Yusuke asked. "You still haven't said."   
  
Koenma sighed. "We're going to Kogane City in the Makai for the Aki Warriors Banquet. Only the best fighters are invited, and I was notified recently that we are one of the few who get to come! Rumor is that after you get there and the banquet is over, there's some sort of test to prove that you are one of the best."   
  
"Rumor?" Kurama asked. "It's not a rumor."   
  
"Well, we better get going. We all can't transport there, so we're going to have to travel by road. We were supposed to be starting off ten minutes ago!" The god stood, and shook his head. "Come on, don't just stand there. Bring the girl, too."   
  
Kurama stooped to gather her up as Keiko, Yusuke, and Hiei left after their manager, but Kuwabara frowned.   
  
"I still say she shouldn't go," The teen said. "It's not safe."   
  
The demon smiled and handed her bookbag to him. "Come on, Kuwabara. She will be safe with all of us here."   
  
He nodded, and looked at her. She was still passed out, a serene look on her face. Then the two teammates followed everyone else.   
  
(A/N: First Person POV again)  
  
I knew that I was still knocked out, but it was like I could sense my surroundings. I was sitting slightly upright in the corner seat of what looked like a limo, leaning on the sidewall of the car. Kurama sat next to me, Kazuma in front of me. He held my bookbag, looking peeved and worried, fiddling with one of the keychains on it. The other people I had seen in the room filled the other seats, including a bubbly-looking blue-haired woman who was talking very rapidly to Kurama.   
  
I sensed a new feeling. There was a big presence somewhere in the car, something like what I was feeling. It was different, though, very different. It sensed me, and came to investigate.   
  
Kazuma looked at me. Then I knew what the presence was: him.   
  
Mari? He seemed to say. I tried to answer him, but everything blanked out of my mind and was black again.   
  
(A/N: Third person POV)   
  
The long limo solemnly shot down the road. Everything that was going past was hardly scenery; a long strip of green grass was all that could be seen. The skies were dark, cloudy, the sun barely shone through.   
  
The girl whimpered in her unconsciousness, making Kurama look at her. She frowned and trembled, holding her breath for a moment, then opened her eyes. They were full of tears and fearful as she looked around the car.   
  
"Komari," the fox demon said gently, "what's wrong?"   
  
She blinked slowly. "It...It was nothing...." Sighing, she shook her head. "Only a dream."   
  
Koenma cleared his throat. "Let me ask you something. Have you ever seen a real demon, Komari?" The god looked at her. "In demon form?"   
  
She held her breath for a moment. "I..."   
  
"Let me tell you, they can be very different from what Kurama looks like."   
  
Komari looked away. "My step brother, the one who lives in Osaka...he is a demon...."   
  
"Kuru?" Kazuma asked. "The one who was always pushing you around?"   
  
She nodded. "He once took me to somewhere in the demon world with a few of his buddies...This gang of demons ambushed us and he only rescued me after I was bleeding from about thirty different places...." Her eyes grew teary. "I was four...."   
  
"Not all demons are bad," Hiei said. "Most just don't like humans."   
  
"I know that...since then, I've kept in touch with the demon who convinced him not to leave me there..." She smiled. "Danshi is actually a nice one, like Kurama."   
  
Koenma smiled. "Well, I'm glad that you're somewhat familiar with demons. We're going to a formal dinner in the demon world, and then we're going to watch Kuwabara, Hiei, Kurama, and Yusuke be tested. Then we can go home."   
  
She nodded. "And there's no chance that you can...zap me home?"   
  
The god shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. Ah, we're here."   
  
The limo had stopped. They were all now in front of a large building, surrounded by what looked like a big ghost town. A few more limos and cars and such were outside the building, each guarded by a tough-looking demon. Koenma opened the door, got out, and looked around.   
  
This is it, Komari thought. The demon world.   
  
(A/N: First person POV)   
  
They were really prepared for us inside the building. I wouldn't let go of Kazuma's arm, but I don't think that he minded all that much. He's the one that insisted on keeping me by his side. I didn't mind either.   
  
Koenma had it arranged so that the others could come in their regular clothes and change into their fancy stuff there, and then change again when it was over. The tailor, a demon, looked at me once, then Koenma, then at the extra sets of clothing that he had brought. After a moment more, I was holding a dark blue dress that looked like it cost more than my whole neighborhood did. Botan, the blue-haired woman, then ushered me off to the dressing room where Keiko was.   
  
"Well, it was lucky that he had a dress that would fit you," She said, changing into her lovely white dress. "You'll look positively radiant in that!"   
  
Keiko agreed. "Yeah, you will, Komari." She was really pretty, I thought, in her beautiful black dress. "But...I have a question, if you don't mind."   
  
I nodded and started to get into my dress, sighing. "Go ahead."   
  
"Ummm....Are you and Kazuma going out?"   
  
I stopped, and looked at her. My face already felt red. "What?"   
  
Botan nodded. "You two seem really close, and I mean, heck, you do make a really cute couple. You must be dating!"   
  
I nearly fell over. Me, and Kazuma....dating? "Uh...eh, no. No."   
  
"No?"   
  
"No."   
  
"You're kidding!" She said. "How can you not be? The boy adores you!"   
  
I blushed more. "He does?"   
  
Keiko agreed. "You can't tell?"   
  
"No...."   
  
Finally I was done. I stood up straight, and looked at my bare feet. Suddenly a door in the wall opened up, revealing a whole rack of shoes.   
  
"Wow!" I exclaimed. "Shoes from a wall! I want one of those in my house!!"   
  
Botan and Keiko each claimed a pair, as I did. Next a white powder filled the room, blocking our view of each other. I felt my hair being gently tugged and pulled. The white fog faded away, and I could see that our hair had been styled perfectly.   
  
The door we came in suddenly opened, and a dashing Koenma appeared. "Well, girls, are we ready?"   
  
Botan nodded. He led us all into a large room where the others were waiting, each in a handsome black tux and looking quite good.   
  
Kurama gentlemanly bowed and offered his arm to Botan, who took it and smiled, being quiet for the first time since I had met her. Urameshi did the same to Keiko, who gently kissed his cheek and genuinely smiled at him. Kazuma looked at me with wonder in his eyes and smiled. I went to stand by him, blushing and trying not to stare at him. He looked so handsome.   
  
"We're expected," Koenma said gently, motioning to the doors at the front of the room.   
  
He slowly walked through the doors, beckoning to us to do the same. We all did, Kazuma and I taking up a place behind Urameshi and Keiko, and entered what had to be the biggest dining room I had ever seen.   
  
Beings of all shapes, sizes, and colors were everywhere. Some had horns, or extra eyes, tails, claws, and some even had wings! I was blown away. Most everyone was dressed formally, and the women (or those that looked like women) had jewelry all over the place.   
  
An empty table, the only one there, was to be our table, I learned. Everyone went and sat down. I was seated in-between Kazuma and Kurama, who kept looking at Kazuma with a certain look in his eye. It was slightly disturbing. He didn't even notice, because he was looking at me the whole time. I nearly burst with pride to be able to even sit by him.   
  
Food was brought immediately to our table; plates piled high with what looked like chicken stir fry were set in front of everyone. By the time we got through eating, a dancefloor had been cleared and a few demons were dancing.   
  
"What's the point of all of this?" I said to no one in particular.   
  
Koenma smiled. "This is just the party before the test. You'll see why there was even a party in the first place."   
  
A tall demon man rose from his seat, and went to the middle of the dance floor. He had a microphone in his hand and a smile on his tan face.   
  
"Ladies and gents," he said, his voice crisp, "thank you all for coming here tonight. Please welcome the host of this event, Mr. Kuru Nakatami!"   
  
My heart dropped. A door behind the man opened, and my step brother slowly walked out. On his arm was a scantily-clad demoness, her long and feline tail lashing the air behind them. He was in his demon form as well. The applause was thunderous.  
  
His ears were long and pointed now, with dark green stripes all along the sides of them and his face. He had formidable fangs and claws, not to mention the air was buzzing with his power. Red were his eyes, a bright red, with slitted pupils.   
  
This was the man that I had come to hate and fear. He sniffed the air for a moment, then looked at me, grinning from ear to ear. I shuddered and turned back around, facing my plate.   
  
"Komari, isn't that-" Kazuma started to talk, but I cut him off.   
  
"Yes, it is. I'm not going to speak to him, and he better not try to speak to me." Tears swam in my eyes. "I'm just going to sit here for as long as I have to and then go home. I don't want to have anything to do with him!"   
  
He gently patted my shoulder. "It's ok. If he tries anything, I'll stop him. He won't even talk to you, Mari-chan."   
  
"Thanks, Kazuma. That's sweet." I looked at him. He smiled, then turned to Koenma. They exchanged a few words, then Kazuma looked at me again. "Koenma says that he's just announcing the teams that he wants to stay for the test, then after the rejects have left, the others will dance if they want while the test is being set up. Then we can go home."   
  
My brother smiled and accepted the microphone from the other demon. "Yes, thank you, my friends. Well, we all know why we're here at Kogane city today. You all have met the requirements to be named an Aki Warrior, and this banquet is in your honor! But sadly, some of you do not meet the requirements to prove that you or your team is worthy of the title. Those of you whose names I say are those who did not meet the criteria. I ask that you please leave quickly and quietly, without questioning."   
  
The whole room nodded, it seemed. Kuru pulled a long list out of his pocket, and began reading. A full thirty minutes later, we were still sitting at our table. Only about thirty people were left, including us. That meant that there were two other teams left, and they both were strictly demon. Even their dates looked as if they were demons, and I knew this was true. What else did I expect?   
  
"Well, now we have the remaining teams. Feel free, team captains, to introduce you and your teams to the others." He smiled. "Now, if you excuse me, I have to go say hello to someone special."   
  
I shuddered. I knew what he meant. The mic was turned off and given back to the first demon, and his date ushered off to another table. I could feel Kuru's power coming closer to me, but put it out of my mind and concentrated on going home. All I had to do was sit through the test and a few more minutes, then I'd be going home.   
  
"Well well well, little sister. I didn't expect you to come here." I heard him, but I didn't intend on turning around. "What are you doing back in the Makai?"   
  
I closed my eyes, swallowing hard. I couldn't answer him, I couldn't!   
  
"Now, little sister, don't give your favorite brother the cold shoulder. I just want to talk." He came closer, and tried to put his hand on my shoulder.   
  
Kazuma was up in an instant. "Don't touch her, you bastard. You don't even deserve to talk to her," he said in a quiet tone. I would've glowed with pride, but I was too intent on not thinking about Kuru. "Leave her alone or you'll have to deal with me, and I don't think that you'd like that."   
  
Kuru laughed. "And who are you? Her boyfriend? You're just some punk human. Now move aside, boy, or you'll have to deal with me."   
  
I shook with anger. My voice shook as well. "Kazuma, don't. He wouldn't fight now anyways. Not when there are so many witnesses. Just ignore him and eventually he'll go away."   
  
The boy slowly and stubbornly sat back down. My brother laughed, and leaned down close to my ear.   
  
"Don't think I will, Komari. I'm just as stubborn as you are."   
  
This time Kurama acted. He suddenly had a deep growl to his voice, and a steely look in his green eyes.   
  
"Sir, I do not think that this young lady wishes to speak to you at this moment. Please leave or I shall have to help you leave. You won't like the second option, let me warn you."   
  
"Fine, foxboy. I see you don't even have the decency to side with your own kind. But that's just fine. Humanized demons will be shown no sympathy in these tests." He laughed. "See you when the tests start, little sister."   
  
"Thank you," I whispered to both of the men sitting beside me, as he walked away.   
  
Koenma looked at him. "He certainly gives off the impression of a butthead, doesn't he?"   
  
I nodded and laughed shortly. "Yes, he does."   
  
Yusuke, I noticed, was also looking at him. "He looks really familiar."   
  
"Don't you know who his father is?" Hiei drawled. "Think of the dark tournament."   
  
"I don't care who his dad is," Kazuma mumbled. "I just don't like him."   
  
"Zeru!" Botan blurted out. "He looks alot like Zeru!"   
  
"His father was ugly as well. I don't even claim him," I whispered. "Koenma, is there a bathroom somewhere?"   
  
The god nodded. "Out the door to your right."   
  
"I think I'll go with you," Keiko said quietly. We both got up, and followed Koenma's directions to the restrooms.


End file.
